Narrative:

During pushback from gate, aircraft had to be abruptly stopped twice due to vehicular ground traffic in the designated ground traffic lane behind us. After aircraft stopped, when pushback was complete, building contractor pickup truck passed between aircraft and pushback tug as we cleared crew off headset. As we began our taxi, the truck that had been following the pickup truck, a large truck filled with cinder blocks, pulled out of the traffic lane so as to go in front and around us, thus blocking my taxi path forcing me to stop. Ground was advised and an operations vehicle intercepted the vehicles and issued warnings. The purpose of this report is to use this incident as an illustration of a problem I believe is increasing -- excessive and unnecessary vehicular ground traffic in the aircraft movement area. Fuel trucks, catering trucks, airport operations cars, tugs, construction trucks, freight trucks, baggage carts, all add to an increasingly dangerous situation on the ramp. Air crews have been advised to slow down and use caution. This now means I must now watch as I get passed by a fuel truck as I taxi on the ramp. In rno, because there are 2 ground traffic lanes in an alleyway, the acrs can only have 1 aircraft at a time pushing or taxiing to the gate. This is not only in dtw, but stl, lax but appears to be a potential problem at all major airports. I'm flying this week with a flight attendant who was struck by a pickup truck, operated by an FBO, as she was walking under a jetway from operations and the aircraft. I wonder if the convenience to access the ramp area justifies the additional risk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PIC COMPLAINS OF INCREASING VEHICULAR TFC AT MOST MAJOR ARPTS. USES DTW RPT OF A GND CONFLICT WITH OBSTRUCTION VEHICLE.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE, ACFT HAD TO BE ABRUPTLY STOPPED TWICE DUE TO VEHICULAR GND TFC IN THE DESIGNATED GND TFC LANE BEHIND US. AFTER ACFT STOPPED, WHEN PUSHBACK WAS COMPLETE, BUILDING CONTRACTOR PICKUP TRUCK PASSED BTWN ACFT AND PUSHBACK TUG AS WE CLRED CREW OFF HEADSET. AS WE BEGAN OUR TAXI, THE TRUCK THAT HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE PICKUP TRUCK, A LARGE TRUCK FILLED WITH CINDER BLOCKS, PULLED OUT OF THE TFC LANE SO AS TO GO IN FRONT AND AROUND US, THUS BLOCKING MY TAXI PATH FORCING ME TO STOP. GND WAS ADVISED AND AN OPS VEHICLE INTERCEPTED THE VEHICLES AND ISSUED WARNINGS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO USE THIS INCIDENT AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF A PROB I BELIEVE IS INCREASING -- EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY VEHICULAR GND TFC IN THE ACFT MOVEMENT AREA. FUEL TRUCKS, CATERING TRUCKS, ARPT OPS CARS, TUGS, CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS, FREIGHT TRUCKS, BAGGAGE CARTS, ALL ADD TO AN INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS SIT ON THE RAMP. AIR CREWS HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION. THIS NOW MEANS I MUST NOW WATCH AS I GET PASSED BY A FUEL TRUCK AS I TAXI ON THE RAMP. IN RNO, BECAUSE THERE ARE 2 GND TFC LANES IN AN ALLEYWAY, THE ACRS CAN ONLY HAVE 1 ACFT AT A TIME PUSHING OR TAXIING TO THE GATE. THIS IS NOT ONLY IN DTW, BUT STL, LAX BUT APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL PROB AT ALL MAJOR ARPTS. I'M FLYING THIS WK WITH A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS STRUCK BY A PICKUP TRUCK, OPERATED BY AN FBO, AS SHE WAS WALKING UNDER A JETWAY FROM OPS AND THE ACFT. I WONDER IF THE CONVENIENCE TO ACCESS THE RAMP AREA JUSTIFIES THE ADDITIONAL RISK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.